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How To Get Affordable State Sponsored Therapy in Mississippi

Many people don’t realize that publicly-funded mental health services are available in their state. People looking for free or low-cost counseling often think their only options are counselors in private practice and don’t know that publicly-funded providers in their communities may also offer counseling services.

While state-based programs are not for everyone, they’re often a great place to start for people who face geographic or financial barriers to therapy. Intake specialists at community mental health programs can help people learn whether they qualify for state-funded services and can refer people who don’t qualify to other low-cost programs that may be able to meet their needs.

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When Should You Go to a State Mental Health Program?

Few private mental health providers are able to immediately serve people in crisis, while most state mental health agencies, including Mississippi’s, have crisis response systems that help people get mental health care quickly in an emergency. This usually makes public mental health services the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away. The people who answer state crisis lines can provide caring attention and support as they help you determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.

In Mississippi, publicly-funded outpatient mental health services are provided by community mental health centers (CMHCs). In addition to affordable therapy, CMHCs provide specialized and intensive services that aren’t available anywhere else or that are hard to find in private clinics, like case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, and day treatment. Mississippi also licenses a few smaller agencies to provide publicly-funded outpatient mental health services alongside the CMHCs. Some of these agencies offer the same array of services as CMHCs, while others are smaller and primarily serve as counseling providers.

Consider going to a publicly-funded outpatient program if you need intensive treatment, live in an area with limited mental health resources, or can’t access mental health care in the private sector due to your diagnosis or financial situation.

Who Is Eligible for Public Mental Health Services in Mississippi?

Like most states’ systems, the state mental health system in Mississippi prioritizes clients with limited incomes and clients with serious mental illness (SMI). However, Mississippi does not have strict clinical or financial eligibility requirements for public mental health services and serves people from a wide range of backgrounds. Many CMHCs in Mississippi offer counseling to people with moderate mental health needs and only require people to be residents of the counties they serve to access their services. For example, the Region 2 CMHC, Communicare, states:

“Communicare offers a variety of services for adults who are having issues related to mental health or emotional concerns. Special emphasis is placed on adults with serious mental illness but we also provide services for individuals suffering from all types of problems, including bereavement, family and marital difficulties, adjustment to medical or physical disabilities, and other life concerns.”

The Region 11 CMHC, A Clear Path, states, “We provide behavioral health services to people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic categories. We make our fees affordable to increase the opportunities for persons with limited resources to access our services. Residents of the 9 counties of southwest Mississippi are our primary clients… Persons living outside our region are not eligible for our in-region discounted fees but may be eligible for other discounted fee rates.”

In Mississippi, CMHCs are subject to state licensing requirements but are independent entities and can make some autonomous decisions about which mental health services they provide and what admission criteria they use. If you don’t have an SMI or a limited income, whether you can receive mental health services from publicly-funded providers in your county will ultimately depend on what they have the funding to provide. Most CMHCs in Mississippi offer therapy and your local CMHC may be able to provide therapy to you at a discounted rate if you are a county resident. Most CMHCs offer sliding fee scales and take both public and private insurance plans.

How Can You Find Out More About Local Programs in Mississippi?

The best way to find out whether you can get the services you need at a local CMHC in Mississippi is to call the program directly. We’ve listed contact information for all Mississippi CMHCs below. We’ve also included contact information for other state-licensed adult outpatient mental health providers who offer therapy.

Another great way to get information about providers in your area is to call the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH). For general information, you can call their central office at (601) 359-1288. You can also call their 24-hour helpline at (877) 210-8513 for referrals and for support in crisis and non-crisis situations. On the official DMH website, you can find information and listings for community mental health centers and a provider search tool you can use to find publicly-funded mental health providers that serve your county.

North Mississippi and Delta Region Clinics and Crisis Lines

  • Region 1: Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie, and Tunica Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Region One Mental Health Center (Clarksdale)
      • Main Number: (662) 627-7267
      • Crisis Line: (888) 404-8002
      • Office Locations:
        • Main Office (Clarksdale): (662) 627-7267
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 1:

 

  • Region 2: Calhoun, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate, and Yalobusha Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Communicare (Oxford)
      • Main Number: (662) 234-7521
      • Crisis Line: (866) 837-7521
      • Office Locations:
        • Main Office (Oxford): (662) 234-7521
        • Calhoun County Office (Pittsboro): (662) 989-4099
        • Marshall County Office (Holly Springs): (662) 252-4140
        • Panola County Office (Sardis): (662) 487-2746
        • Tate County Office (Senatobia): (662) 562-5216
        • Yalobusha County Office (Water Valley): (662) 989-4096
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 2:

 

  • Region 3: Benton, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, and Union Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: LIFECORE Health Group (Tupelo)
      • Main Number: (662) 640-4595 or (228) 863-1132
      • Crisis Line: (866) 255-9986
      • Clinic Locations:
        • Main Clinic (Tupelo): (662) 987-4261 or (662) 640-4595
        • Ashland Clinic: (662) 426-4697
        • Amory Clinic: (662) 256-7416
        • Houston Clinic: (662) 426-4322
        • Pontotoc Clinic: (662) 509-9300
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 3:

 

  • Region 4: Alcorn, DeSoto, Prentiss, Tippah, and Tishomingo Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Region 4 Mental Health Services (Corinth)
      • Main Number: (662) 286-9883
      • Crisis Line: (888) 287-4443
      • Office Locations:
        • Adult Clinical Office (Corinth): (662) 287-4424
        • Elderly Clinical Services (Corinth): (662) 286-9860
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 4:

 

  • Region 6: Attala, Bolivar, Carroll, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Montgomery, Sharkey, Sunflower, and Washington Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Life Help (Greenwood)
      • Main Number: (662) 453-6211
      • Crisis Line: (866) 453-6216
      • Clinic Locations:
        • Leflore Clinic and Central Office (Greenwood): (662) 453-6211
        • Attala County Clinic (Kosciusko): (662) 289-4735
        • Bolivar County Clinic (Cleveland): (662) 843-9445
        • Carroll County Clinic (Carrollton): (662) 237-6690
        • Grenada County Clinic (Grenada): (662) 226-1112
        • Grenada Crisis Stabilization Unit (Grenada): (662) 227-3700
        • Holmes County Clinic (Lexington): (662) 834-1709
        • Humphreys County Clinic (Belzoni): (662) 247-3256
        • Montgomery County Clinic (Winona): (662) 283-2529
        • Sharkey and Issaquena Clinic (Rolling Fork): (662) 873-6228
        • Sunflower County Clinic (Indianola): (662) 887-5441
        • Washington County Clinic (Greenville): (662) 335-5274
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 6:

Central Mississippi and Capital Region Clinics and Crisis Lines

  • Region 7: Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Community Counseling Services (West Point)
      • Main Number: (662) 524-4347
      • Crisis Line: (888) 943-3022
      • Office Locations:
        • Clay County Counseling Office (West Point): (662) 494-7060
        • Choctaw County Counseling Office (Ackerman): (662) 285-6225
        • Lowndes County Counseling Office (Columbus): (662) 328-9225
        • Noxubee County Counseling Office (Macon): (662) 726-5042
        • Oktibbeha County Counseling Office (Starkville): (662) 323-9318
        • Webster County Counseling Office (Eupora): (662) 258-8147
        • Winston County Counseling Office (Louisville): (662) 773-9377

 

  • Region 8: Copiah, Lincoln, Madison, Rankin, and Simpson Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Region 8 Mental Health Services (Brandon)
      • Main Number (Service): (601) 825-8800
      • Main Number (Admin.): (601) 824-0342
      • Crisis Line: (877) 657-4098
      • Office Locations:
        • Rankin County Mental Health Services (Brandon): (601) 825-8800
        • Copiah County Mental Health Services (Hazlehurst): (601) 894-2018
        • Lincoln County Mental Health Services (Brookhaven): (601) 823-2345
        • Madison County Mental Health Services (Canton): (601) 859-8371
        • Simpson County Mental Health Services (Mendenhall): (601) 847-4410
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 8:

 

 

  • Region 10: Clarke, Jasper, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott, and Smith Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Weems Community Mental Health Center (Meridian)
      • Main Number: (601) 483-4821
      • Crisis Line: (800) 803-0245
      • Office Locations:
        • Lauderdale County Office (Meridian): (601) 483-4821
        • Clarke County Office (Quitman); (601) 776-6051
        • Jasper County Office (Bay Springs): (601) 764-2201
        • Kemper County Office (DeKalb): (601) 743-5616
        • Leake County Office (Carthage): (601) 267-3551
        • Neshoba County Office (Philadelphia): (601) 656-3451
        • Newton County Office (Decatur): (601) 635-3342
        • Scott County Office (Forest): (601) 469-2211
        • Smith County Office (Raleigh): (601) 782-9461
        • Southwest Summit Office (Summit): (601) 276-3040

 

  • Region 15: Warren and Yazoo Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health (Vicksburg)
      • Main Number: (601) 638-0031
      • Regional Crisis Line: (888) 558-2077
      • Warren County Crisis and Information Line: (601) 638-0031
      • Yazoo County Crisis and Information Line: (662) 746-5712
      • Office Locations:
        • Warren County Administration and Outpatient Office (Vicksburg): (601) 638-0031
        • Yazoo County Outpatient Office (Yazoo City): (662) 746-5712

South Mississippi and Gulf Coast Region Clinics and Crisis Lines

  • Region 11: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Pike, Walthall, and Wilkinson Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: A Clear Path Southwest MS Mental Health Complex (McComb)
      • Main Number: (601) 684-2173
      • Crisis Line: (877) 353-8689
      • Facility Locations:
        • Main Regional and Pike County Office (McComb): (601) 684-2173
        • Adams County Mental Health Office (Natchez): (601) 446-6634
        • Amite County Mental Health Office (Liberty): (601) 657-4354
        • Claiborne County Mental Health Office (Port Gibson): (601) 437-8185
        • Franklin County Mental Health Office (Meadville): (601) 384-2261
        • Lawrence County Mental Health Office (Monticello): (601) 587-4674
        • Walthall County Mental Health Office (Tylertown): (601) 876-4721
        • Wilkinson County Mental Health Office (Woodville): (601) 888-3020
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 11:

 

  • Region 12: Covington, Forrest, Greene, Jeff Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, and Wayne Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources (Hattiesburg)
      • Main Number: (601) 544-4641
      • Crisis Line: (888) 330-7772
      • Office Locations:
        • Covington Mental Health Center (Collins): (601) 765-4514
        • Forrest Mental Health Center (Hattiesburg): (601) 544-4641
        • Greene Mental Health Center (Leakesville): (601) 394-5047
        • Jeff Davis Mental Health Center (Prentiss): (601) 792-4872
        • Jones Mental Health Center (Ellisville): (601) 649-7921
        • Lamar Mental Health Center (Purvis): (601) 794-6543
        • Marion Mental Health Center (Columbia): (601) 736-6799
        • Pearl River Mental Health Services (Picayune): (601) 798-7001
        • Perry Mental Health Center (Richton): (601) 788-6308
        • Wayne Mental Health Center (Waynesboro): (601) 735-3350
        • Gulf Coast Coastal Community Care and PACT (Gulfport): (228) 206-7780
        • Coastal Community Care and MYPAC (Gulfport): (228) 265-7188
        • Westway Behavioral Healthcare and Crisis Intervention (Laurel): (601) 426-7520
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 12:

 

  • Region 13: Hancock, Harrison, and Stone Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Gulf Coast Mental Health Center (Gulfport)
      • Main Number: (228) 863-1132
      • Crisis Line: (800) 681-0798
      • Office Locations:
        • Main Office (Gulfport): (228) 863-1132
        • Biloxi Satellite Office: (228) 388-7998
        • Hancock County Satellite Office (Bay St. Louis): (228) 467-1881
        • Stone County Satellite Office (Wiggins): (601) 928-2357
    • Additional DMH Certified Adult Mental Health Providers for Region 13:

 

  • Region 14: George and Jackson Counties
    • Community Mental Health Center: Singing River Services (Gautier)
      • Main Number: (228) 497-0690
      • Crisis Line: (866) 497-0690
      • Office Locations:
        • Jackson County Adult Outpatient Services and Main Office (Gautier): (228) 497-0690
        • George County Adult Outpatient Services (Lucedale): (601) 947-4274

Federally Qualified Health Centers

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another option for public mental health care in Mississippi. These federally-funded programs provide medical and mental health services to people in underserved communities. Their goal is to deliver high-quality coordinated care to people with complex needs and to link behavioral healthcare with primary medical care. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers sliding-scale fees to people without insurance. You can search for FQHCs using the online search tool on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

How Does Mississippi's Public Mental Health System Work?

In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about how to treat mental health conditions. New laws required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. Many states’ public mental health programs trace their origins back to this period, and Mississippi is no exception. Many of its CMHCs were founded in the early-to-mid 1970s using funds from the Community Mental Health Act, which was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

In 2016, Mississippi was sued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with its state mental health policies. The DOJ alleged that Mississippi was not providing enough community mental health services and was unnecessarily institutionalizing people who could have been treated in the community. In 2019, District Judge Carlton W. Reeves ruled in favor of the DOJ, finding Mississippi in violation of the ADA. A special master has been appointed by the court to guide the state in ongoing efforts to shift its mental health care away from institutions. The state has already expanded its community-based mental health services and continues to work to improve its system.

Public mental health services in Mississippi are managed on the state level by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH). The DMH oversees 14 mental health regions, each of which has a designated CMHC. In addition to CMHCs, the state licenses small agencies to provide some state-funded services. All publicly-funded outpatient mental health providers in Mississippi are independent; the only mental health programs that DMH runs directly are the state’s inpatient behavioral health programs.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), only 38 percent of people in Mississippi who have mental health conditions get treatment for them. One reason for the care gap is that people aren’t aware of their options for affordable mental health care, including CMHCs and other publicly-funded programs. You can help change these statistics by reaching out and using your local mental health resources to get the care you need.

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